[AI Era Electric Power is National Power]⑮ 1000 Qubit Quantum Computer Uses 0.08 MW Electricity... Less Than 1% of Conventional Supercomputers

Energy Savings Possible with Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science Leading Domestic Quantum Technology
Reducing Errors Remains the Key Challenge

Will the demand for electricity increase further in the era of quantum technology following artificial intelligence (AI)? How much electricity can be saved compared to existing supercomputers? According to domestic researchers, a 1000-qubit quantum computer, which shows practical superiority over supercomputers, consumes only 0.3 to 1.3% of the power used by supercomputers. However, it is pointed out that the fields where quantum computers demonstrate explosive capabilities are still limited, and errors can occur depending on external environmental factors.

Hong Chang-ki, a senior researcher at the Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science (KRISS), recently stated in an interview with Asia Economy, "A 1000-qubit quantum computer, where quantum supremacy begins, is estimated to consume about 0.08 MW." KRISS participates in the recently launched 'Quantum Strategy Committee' as Korea's quantum science and technology hub. Last year, they developed the first 20-qubit quantum computer in Korea. A qubit is a concept similar to a bit, the basic unit of information in computers. However, while a bit can have a value of either 0 or 1, a quantum bit can simultaneously hold both 0 and 1. Therefore, the more qubits there are, the faster information processing is possible compared to existing supercomputers.

Minister Yoo Sang-im of the Ministry of Science and ICT visited the Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science in Yuseong-gu, Daejeon last month to receive an explanation about superconducting quantum computing. Photo by the Ministry of Science and ICT

Hong, a senior researcher at the Superconducting Quantum Computing System Research Group, explained, "For a quantum computer to operate stably, it must maintain an ultra-low temperature environment of minus 273 degrees Celsius, and this estimate includes the power consumed by the refrigeration system." He added, "For a superconducting quantum computer with a scale of 50 qubits, about 0.025 MW of power is consumed."

The biggest drawback of existing supercomputers is their enormous power consumption, which quantum computers can partially solve. For example, compared to China's supercomputer Tianhe-2 consuming 24 MW and Europe's eco-friendly supercomputer LUMI consuming 6 MW, quantum computers use only about 0.3 to 1.3% of their electricity.

However, he noted, "To discuss how much energy can be reduced, it should be based on the power consumed for the same computation," adding, "Since quantum computers and supercomputers have advantages in different types of calculations, it is difficult to express the difference in multiples." Additionally, quantum computers are very sensitive systems, and small changes in the external environment or thermal noise can cause errors in calculation results.

The academic consensus is that quantum computers have competitive advantages in specific fields but cannot completely replace AI. They are specialized in areas such as climate change, new drug development, cryptography decryption, and financial data analysis. For example, the global aerospace company Airbus plans to use quantum computers for complex simulation calculations in aircraft design and fault analysis. Goldman Sachs expects to apply quantum computing to investment portfolio risk calculations, and Volkswagen anticipates its use in developing high-performance batteries for electric vehicles.